Nantucket Happy Food

Julia Child once famously quipped, “People who love to eat are always the best people.” This lady knew her audience and was astute in her assessments. There’s nothing like good food to bring us simple joy and create a common bond among would be strangers or fellow friends and neighbors. This was our reaction last weekend as we joined our fellow Nantucketer’s bar side at The Nautilus and raised a glass to toast some of the finest food, not only on the island, but anywhere in the world.

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There are countless Nantucket restaurants that raise the bar on culinary genius…we are fans and frequenters of them all in season (and some off season too!). It seems unlikely though that on a frigid winter evening in February, on a tiny island 30 miles out to sea, we would have the good fortune to enjoy restaurant fare that is frankly just “stop you in your tracks” delicious. And yet, for either lunch or dinner during much of the winter, these rock stars at The Nautilus continually amaze us with their creativity and sheer gastronomic talent. Even Julia herself would be awestruck.

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Winter is the time when those of us who call Nantucket home get the opportunity to really embrace and appreciate the blessing of having so many talented chefs on our island. Restaurants like The Nautilus and Lola 41 who don’t take summer reservations and are legendary for their long wait lines in-season, throw open their doors to welcome locals and off-season guests while never skimping on the quality of their cuisine. Others like Fifty-Six Union, Island Kitchen and Fusaro’s (some of our other favorites!) offer nightly specials and equally impressive menu items.

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When friends or clients inquire what we could possibly find to do on Nantucket during these quiet months, we exchange a knowing smile and respond with the simplest cliché…we eat, drink and stay merry! Sometimes it’s date night at one of the amazing restaurants. Other times it’s friends and neighbors gathered for a cook together around our kitchen island. But always it’s a shared appreciation for the opportunity to enjoy good food and friendship whatever the season….and it really does keep us merry.

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If you’re visiting the island soon, be sure to plan some time at the island restaurants open this winter. Grab a cozy corner table at Dune or Greydon House or slide onto a barstool at Town or Queequeg’s. If you get here before the end of February, you might run into us at The Nautilus. We’ll be indulging in the Crab Fried Rice and Calamari Slaw and happy to join you in a Nantucket toast to this magical island and the talented people who make it great.